by John Murph, Downbeat Growing up in Brooklyn, singer and guitarist Allan Harris regularly visited his mother’s family in Harlem on the weekends. His aunt, Kate Ingram, owned a popular luncheonette, Kate’s Home Cooking on the corner of 8th Avenue and West 126th Street. In addition to serving soul-food staples such as fried chicken, collard … Read More
by John Murph, Downbeat Saxophonist Teodross Avery’s latest disc, Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious Monk (WJ3), is both a homecoming and tribute. Monk’s music entered Avery’s life in the 1980s, when he was a teenager. While growing up in California’s Bay Area, he was already checking out jazz through either his father’s album collection or through … Read More
by John Murph, DownBeat Charles McPherson’s bright, citrusy tone on alto saxophone, alluring lyricism and graceful improvisations are in splendid form on Jazz Dance Suites, an album consolidating originals derived from commissions he wrote for the San Diego Ballet. Read the full review here.
By John Murph “Carter opens the album with a spoken-word recollection of growing up in Detroit and how observing cultural differences works toward shaping how individuals vote. She also mentions watching her older family members head to the polls—a pertinent recollection given recent reports of voter suppression efforts and the centennial anniversary of the 19th … Read More
By John Murph, DownBeat Magazine “From start to finish, Spanish Harlem Orchestra flaunts its jazz bona fides without dismissing its statement of purpose.” Read the full review here.
How Wallace Roney Taught His Young Ensemble to ‘Trust the Music’ by John Murph, Downbeat Without overhauling his sound, trumpeter Wallace Roney’s music remains fresh, and his latest disc, Blue Dawn–Blue Lights evidences its quintessential vivacity. Full piece here.
